The passage sticks with me as far as ultimate contentment. To me it speaks more to removing the causes for discontent, rather than fabricating contentment. Furthermore, a sage at peace is not born, does not age, does not die, is unagitated, and is free from longing. He has nothing whereby he would b...

The (frequently misrepresented) Kalama sutta is highly relevant. Recommend reading it to your friend. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable brahmans & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?" http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/a...

Not sure, I understand you 100% but I think I understand it somewhat. Perhaps, if I were to work with doing this I'll get more of the gist of what you're saying. I'm sure you will. The main point to develop is just like Ajahn Lee said: 6. Spread your awareness — your sense of conscious feeling — th...

What's the difference between being aware throughout the body and being aware of the body? What I was getting at with "of" is objectifying the body through mental imagery. For example, being aware "in and with" your feet means you are aware right there, with your feet. Your own awareness extends al...

How can one voluntarily move one's body internally without falsely conceptualizing what is going on? By being wakeful and aware throughout the body, not "of" the body. Not getting bogged down in imagining, conceptualizing or "watching yourself." 6. Spread your awareness — your sense of conscious fe...

Is there a way of working with the "wind element"/other elements that allows one to be more in tune with his or her body and become skillful in creating a sense of ease within the body without deluding oneself in the process? Sure. As I said before, have a look at Ajahn Lee's Method 2. http://www.a...

Do you think that the body contents, and the cemetery contemplations use imagination or visualisation? I do, yes. Body parts and the body in decay are know to us to some extent or can easily be viewed - where as to seek to create a sensation would be less straight forward. To some extent. Can't see...

SarathW wrote:Hi Kirk
How about if I am killing with full attention?
Is that mindfulness?

It is not right mindfulness, no. I don't take my personal reminder as defining all aspects of the 8-fold path. But then, that's why it is the eight-fold path - those other aspects have to come into play as well.

"Now these three are unfabricated characteristics of what is unfabricated. Which three? No arising is discernible, no passing away is discernible, no alteration while staying is discernible. "These are three unfabricated characteristics of what is unfabricated." http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit...

Bhikkhu Bodhi's footnote 651 to MN64 may also be relevant here. On the anusayas or underlying tendencies, see n.473. In the commentaries the defilements are distinguished as occurring at three levels: the anusaya level, where they remain as mere latent dispositions in the mind; the pariyutthana leve...

I would call it a thought formed by "the obsession of sensual passion", one of the seven obsessions or underlying tendencies (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.011.than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="wi...

Take my example again: "I like somebody very much. I don't know exactly why and I start investigating why I like this particular person. Then I start having sexual thoughts about this person while exploring my feelings and thoughts. Do these thoughts come from the subconsciousness?" Sure, underlyin...

I prefer "pre-rational" rather than "sub-conscious." We can become aware of everything in the mind. It's just that much of it underlies thinking and is before thinking. The "primal." I think Theravada does acknowledge this, it is the territory of the "underlying tendencies" as suggested earlier. Eve...

How can one walk/talk without Cetana? This is a very good question in my eyes, because of the way it is framed. It shows a underlying misconception quite well. Due to the underlying assumption that there is a person in the first place, walking and talking is considered to be action of that person. ...

Not entirely true, it's something which can be mastered. I can see that it can be interpreted in this way, and I suspect the results would be quite unsatisfactory in this case. Like I said before, I am making a practical point, when you achieve this, give us a buzz, we would like you to teach us. I...